Background

Impact: the story so far

Impact is a voluntary and charitable organisation with many years experience of working with our local community, especially vulnerable people. We deliver good quality, effective community programmes for people from all backgrounds and cultures.

Impact was set up as a result of an initiative by a group of people who had a vision and a passion to help regenerate a run down community, not only regenerating buildings but also lifting people’s hopes, aspirations and giving them the opportunities to take positive control and responsibility of their own community.

We are continually developing and looking into the viability of establishing similar projects in other cities across the country which have similar needs to those we currently address.

Here’s our story

In January 1998, Impact became increasingly aware of the growing number of young people in the local area who were homeless or potentially homeless and in need of long-term supported accommodation. Bradford Council agreed to lease a five-storey, walk-up block of flats in a nearby social housing area of Little Horton, Bradford 5.

The building was under-chosen and had been left in a state of disrepair. It was mainly used as transient accommodation, subject to frequent vandalism and used by local drug dealers and users.

In the summer of 1998, Impact began a total renovation and refurbishment of the building. Many dedicated volunteers, including young people who were to become Impact’s first residents, helped with the transformation of the block.

The entrance way and stairs were carpeted, two ground floor flats were furnished as offices, one as a communal room for residents and community projects, and the eight flats above transformed into good quality, modern apartments for young people aged 16-25 years in need.

1998, Impact was the regional award winner from a National Housing and Town Planning Council for our fresh and innovating community youth project for homeless people and in 1999 won a National Housing Award from the Chartered Institute of Housing for “Good Practice in Tackling Social Exclusion.

Impact Living Charity (formerly Impact Young Heroes)

Nissar Bahadur was a trainee administration and finance worker at Impact. He proved to be a talented, thoughtful and hard working young man who made a lasting impression with everybody he had close contact with, both in his professional and personal life.

To everyone’s horror, Nissar was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in November 2004. However, despite this devastating news he conducted himself with astounding dignity and courage, fighting as hard as he possibly could to beat the illness. During this time Nissar, his family and friends all required a tremendous amount of support and advice to be delivered in a sensitive manner. Unfortunately, their experience was that the current service provision for young people and their families, in a similar situation to himself, were totally inadequate.

Sadly, Nissar lost his battle with the cancer only a few months after diagnosis and passed away on 18th February 2005, aged just 19 years old. During his short life, Nissar had often expressed a dream to visit Disneyland, USA. Impact therefore decided to fund a two week, all-inclusive holiday to Florida for him, his sister, six of his closest friends and health and support staff.

This holiday proved to be the most wonderful and joyous experience of Nissar’s young life, as stated on so many occasions by Nissar himself. His final wish was for Impact to support other young people affected by a terminal illness.

‘Impact Living Charity was born’

After an intensive investigation into the feasibility of a project like Young Heroes based in the north of England, Impact discovered that there was indeed a significant gap in service provision for young people aged 13 to 25 who are affected by a terminal illness. This is true for both young people who are personally suffering with a terminal illness and for those who are caring for a parent, guardian or sibling with a life-threatening disease or condition.

Impact Living now provides accommodation, support and advice to other young people living with cancer. Impact also provides respite-care and raises public awareness of young people affected by cancer.